The disclosure relates generally to techniques for licensing software and more particularly to techniques for purchasing and activating software features over a network.
No admission is made that any reference cited herein constitutes prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinence of any cited documents.
As competition in the marketplace is increasingly intense, businesses continue to search for tools to improve efficiency and cut costs. Computer systems have greatly increased productivity and provided for capabilities that were not previously available.
Enterprise software is one tool that is vital to the day-to-day operation of many businesses. Generally, enterprise software provides customers with a comprehensive set of tools that is adapted for their specific business. For example, a hotel operator may implement enterprise software into a bundled solution that includes a reservation system, a payroll system, an accounting system, a financial transactions manager, a contracts management system, a customer interface, facilities management tools, and other such systems. By having an integrated system, customers are able to seamlessly manage related segments of their business.
Unfortunately, many such systems are quite expensive. Further, many segments of the business do not require the comprehensive capabilities of the bundled solution. Many customers would prefer that some portions of the business are not even provided with the superfluous portions of the enterprise software. There is simply less to manage and fewer opportunities to compromise important data.
Accordingly, some developers of enterprise software provide features as separate modules that may be added as needed. This helps to minimize expenses, and permits customers to buy additional modules when needed. Unfortunately, techniques for adding the separate modules can be time consuming and problematic. For example, traditional techniques require onsite installation. Some more advanced techniques require a remote system operator to manage security codes, certificates and other such intermediate devices to provide for remote installation.
Unfortunately, some of these techniques are time consuming and require some degree of skill to implement.
What are needed are methods and apparatus to provide for remote management of software features. Preferably, the methods and apparatus enable a user, such as a system administrator, to add or subtract software capabilities at remote locations with relative ease, and through a user-friendly interface.